Popular burger joint McDonald's has recently started offering specialty coffee and espresso drinks in addition to its regular or decaf brew. These coffee drinks are available all day long, so don't worry about making it in before lunch time if you want to order one. The options aren't as numerous as your local Starbucks, but understanding what is and isn't available can make it easier to place your order.

Steps

Method1

Deciding What to Order

1

Look at the McDonald's menu. McDonald's offers hot and cold coffee drinks in a variety of flavors. General categories include Frappes (iced and blended), specialty coffee drinks (mochas, cappuccinos, and lattes – all offered hot or iced), and regular coffee – served hot or iced.

McDonald's also offers hot chocolate, smoothies, and milkshakes in case you want a special drink but aren't much of a coffee drinker.[1]

2

Decide what type of milk you'd like added to your drink. Specialty coffee drinks are typically made with whole milk, but can usually be made with substitute milk if you ask. If you prefer soy milk, half-and-half, non-fat milk, 2% milk, etc., be sure to specify that when you order.[2]

3

Decide if you'd like to add a flavor. McDonald's coffee drinks come in a few different flavors. For frappes, you can choose between mocha or caramel. Lattes and cappuccinos come in caramel, vanilla, hazelnut, or sugar-free vanilla. Some locations also offer the white chocolate mocha flavor.[3]

Method2

Placing Your Order

1

Know what you want before you approach the register. McDonald's restaurants are typically very busy, so don't hold up the line by being indecisive. If you know that you are going to take awhile to decide, stand off the side to look at the menu. Once you know what you want, you can get in line and approach the register.

2

Be specific with your order. When your order your drink, be as specific as possible. Always use the proper name for the item you are ordering, and specify exactly how you want it. If you do not specify, you will receive your drink how it is traditionally made. For example, the default milk used at McDonald's is whole milk, and the default temperature for most drinks is hot. If you do not specify that you do not want those things, that is what you will get.

If you order a coffee, specify how many creams and sugars you want.

If you want a flavor, explicitly say what flavor you want.

If you want a certain type of milk, tell the cashier.

3

Tell the cashier what size drink you'd like. Like most of McDonald's products, all hot and cold coffee drinks come in small, medium, and large. If you do not specify what size drink you'd like, you may end up getting a size that you do not want.

Method3

Making Sure Your Order is Correct

1

Check your order once you receive it. Since McDonalds is an extremely busy fast-food restaurant, your order may be incorrect. It's a good idea to double check your order to make sure it is correct. This is especially important for more complicated orders, like milk substitutions and flavor additions.

2

Be polite if your order is incorrect! It's never a good idea to be rude to people who are preparing your drinks or food. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, so be polite to the cashier if your order is incorrect. The more polite you are, the better and faster your drink will be prepared.[4]

3

Enjoy your drink! Once you've gotten your correct drink, enjoy it! If you ordered a hot drink, let it cool before you drink it to avoid burning your tongue. If you ordered a cold beverage, drink it slowly to avoid getting a brain freeze.

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Tips

If you do have a more complicated order, you may want to go into the restaurant to order your drink instead of going through the drive-thru. This makes it easier for the employees to hear you place your order, and they can always come to the counter to confirm the details of your drink to make it is prepared correctly.